Quick look
- MicroStrategy buys 12,000 bitcoins for $822 million, totalling 205,000 bitcoins worth over $15 billion.
- Following recent purchases, MicroStrategy’s stock has climbed 68% since March 6, with a 180% increase this year.
- The company issued 0.625% convertible notes due 2030, raising $782 million to fund bitcoin acquisitions.
- Michael Saylor, the MicroStrategy founder, bullish on Bitcoin, compares it favourably against gold.
- A new $500 million private offering aims to buy more bitcoin, targeting qualified institutional buyers.
Whenever Michael Saylor speaks about Bitcoin, MicroStrategy’s shares see significant gains. Recently, Saylor announced on X that MicroStrategy had purchased another 12,000 bitcoins with $822 million from convertible notes and excess cash. This acquisition increases the company’s bitcoin holdings to 205,000, valued at over $15 billion. Bitcoin’s price surge, topping $73,400, has paralleled MicroStrategy’s stock performance, with an 11% rise following a series of gains linked to the company’s aggressive investment strategy.
Leveraging Debt for Bitcoin Investments
MicroStrategy completed an offering of 0.625% convertible notes due in 2030, netting approximately $782 million. This marks a strategic shift in funding methods from equity to the broader capital structure to purchase Bitcoin. This approach, coupled with the company’s plan to raise $500 million through another offering of convertible senior notes due 2031, underscores a robust investment model aimed at amplifying bitcoin holdings. These financial manoeuvres have funded the acquisition of close to 16,000 bitcoins since the year’s start and have led to a noticeable divergence between MicroStrategy’s stock value and its bitcoin assets, with the equity value premium reaching about 99%.
Bitcoin’s Institutional Appeal and MicroStrategy’s Market Value
Saylor’s enthusiasm for Bitcoin, including his view that it will “eat gold,” reflects a growing institutional interest in cryptocurrencies. He anticipates the upcoming bitcoin halving process to drive demand further, potentially elevating its price. This strategy has positioned MicroStrategy as a significant player in the digital currency space since mid-2020, with its market cap soaring to $30 billion from about $1.1 billion. The company’s focus on bitcoin investments has increased shareholder value and cemented its status as a primary corporate holder of bitcoin, signalling a new era of corporate investment strategies in digital assets.
